


Misery and Comfort in the Dark

by Okami01



Series: Ashe Week 2020 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ashe Week (Fire Emblem), Fluff and Angst, Hugs, M/M, Men Crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23129716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01
Summary: Ashe doesn't want to sleep. Neither does Dimitri .Their paths cross. Prompts for Ashe week - Duty, Knights
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: Ashe Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659808
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Misery and Comfort in the Dark

_____

The halls of Garreg Nach were dark and lonely at this time of night. For certain reasons Ashe found himself wandering down these halls. Feeling his heart pound and seeming like one of the ghosts he was so afraid of. He couldn't sleep. Or rather, he could but he was afraid to. Every now and again, his nightmares persisted. This was one of those nights. Where he woke up in a cold sweat. Tears running down his face. Shaking. He didn't like nights like these. 

How many times had he seen Lonato die? He'd been there after all. Once in real life was enough for a lifetime of nightmares. Because Ashe thought more than anyone else, that he could reason with his adoptive father.

So many people who wouldn't be reasoned with. How wrong he'd been. Terribly wrong. He'd thought that by now, he'd forget the last words that he'd screamed at his father. That they'd fuzzy over and he wouldn't have to keep reliving them over and over. They'd fought each other. Ashe shot his arrows at him.

How could he forget with the number of people he's fought since then. It was necessary. Well, Lonato's death surely wasn't, no matter how much the church thought it was. Even though Ashe disagreed. He'd never said that to anyone before. It wouldn't have done any good anyway. He struggled to understand the church's way. There wasn't any way he could say anything, for fear of his sibling's lives.

And how many more civilians would have died if Ashe and the others hadn't killed who they killed? If he hadn't done the things that he had to.

Ashe told himself that, he asked those questions to himself. He kept smiling, training and fighting. Yet he had to admit, as much as he wanted to be a knight, he was sad. Angry. Right now more than anything else, he was tired. 

Walking through the darkness didn't necessarily make things better. But it kept him awake at least. Things would only get worse if he slept. 

Only now Ashe was sure he was starting to hear things. There was sobbing further down the hall. 

Walking through Garreg Mach was supposed to be calming. Now, what if there were ghosts. Ashe's body tensed as a figure came into view. Was he about to be attacked by a ghost? 

He nearly screamed as the figure stood up. Shaggy blonde hair and a fluffy overcoat. 

" Ah… thank the goddess,' Ashe exclaims. He falls to his feet and lets out a long sigh. He does his best not to blurt out that he thought Dimitri was a ghost. His king might not take that very well at all.

Dimitri doesn't look relieved in the slightest. He scowls but when he sees Ashe his brows furrow together.

"A nightmare," Dimitri states. Or maybe it's a question. Either way, Ashe answers. 

" No… no, it couldn't be… not if you're here your highness."

Dimitri's eye is glassy and full of tears. A little color appears on his cheeks.

Ashe realizes what he says and nearly starts choking. " Ahh, I'm sorry your highness. For um… for disturbing you. I can-" 

He stares at Dimitri who has sat back down. His mouth quivers. Ashe stops talking. Maybe that's not what Dimitri wants" I can stay… if you want."

" You don't need to, " Dimitri snaps. 

Maybe it isn't. Ashe sits down anyway and smiles a little bit. " I don't need to, I suppose. But I'd like to. Um… if you want me to."

" Thank you, Ashe. You are kind." Dimitri's eye is still focused on the floor. He sighs. Sitting this close, Ashe can tell Dimitri is shaking. Or maybe it's Ashe himself that's shaking. He isn't even sure anymore. 

" Do you want to go back to your room?" The archer asks. Before he realizes how that lt sounds. " Um… to sleep. To sleep in there. Or rest or something." He's glad Dimitri truly isn't looking at him because they'd he'd see Ashe blushing profusely. 

" I can't- Can't wake Felix and Sylvain up. Now you." Dimitri sobs quietly. 

" Me?"

" You shouldn't have to be with me. I've already… took so much from you and now- Do you really even want to be here, Ashe?"

Ashe doesn't even realize at first that he's got one of his arms around Dimitri's very wide shoulders.

Dimitri doesn't pull him away. If anything, he holds Ashe tighter to him. Ashe sucks in a breath at how good it feels.

" I'm not sure if I'm really explaining this correctly. I always thought that I had to serve you… because that's what you're taught from a young age in Faerghus. To love and serve the royal family it's like a sacred thing And I've always wanted to be a knight.``   
Ashe suppresses a sob of his own. 

" I've always wanted it… Even now and back then… when we all had to make hard choices. I… I know that things didn't go the way any of us wanted them to. That's probably a huge understatement." Ashe clenches his fist around Dimitri's cloak. 

" There are things in this world that I would definitely change… B-but I'm happy that you're here, Dimitri. Because above everything else... you're my friend. I like to do things for my friends."

Dimitri stiffens. His eye is wide in surprise. 

" Oh, goddess… Di- your highness I'm so sorry. I talked for way too long, and I forgot myself and-"

" Ashe," Dimitri growls.

" Y-yes?"

" No, it's- Thank you, Ashe. I really- really appreciated that. I appreciate you. It's just- it's just hard sometimes. 

" It really is," Ashe sighs. 

" One day, I will repay your kindness and efforrts."

" You really don't need to your highness. It's fine."

Ashe feels Dimitri shake his head. ' You truly can call me Dimitri. And I believe that it is necessary.... because... because we are friends."

" O-oh, yeah. Well thanks, then."

They hold each other tightly in the darkness. Dimitri's grip on him borderlines on rough. Their tears meld into each other's clothing. It's strange to be sitting in a hallway crying with someone that also has problems. Wounds that are deeper than some rivers. As the dizzying sadness overtakes him and his king, Ashe supposes that sometimes you need that.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Ashe week! Thanks for reading! :)  
> @Tavitay on Twitter


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